The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-04-22
sAcHge-mAsoo4, rHg NOVELIST.
An Austrian Authors Story of the Late
Suicide King of Bavaria.

Suicide King of Bavaria.
Whatever may be the nationality of
writer, if he possesses style, imagination,
originality, the French fete him, decorate
his buttonhoIe, and indeed make him the
fashion in Paris. English, Americans,
Italians and Russians have been thus re-
ceived by the French nation, and to-day
native novelists are almost forgotten for
Tolstoi and Dostolewski. l am forcibly
impressed by the hospitality of the French
nation toward foreigners because Of the
warm reception given SacherMasOch, the
Austrian nOvelist-a reception that aston
ishes the author himself perhaps more
than any one else. One day, at Nine.
Adams, he said to me:
EAleXander Dumas spent two hours at
my house yesterday. Why did he? l can
not understand what 1 have ever done to
merit his attention"
Sacher-Masoch gave me the pleasure OF
a visit one afternoon, and although he
speaks eight languages, English is not IN
the list. Our conversation was therefore
in French.
In speaking of his novels I mentioned
one in which a Polish count takes great
interest in youth. He consecrates him
self to the education of this boy, ano
makes him the confidant of his joys ana
sorrows. When the youth is strong
his protector, the count discovers that his
protege is a woman. The idea that ma
terial question may alter the philosophi-
cal nature of their relations causes the
grand seigneUr to take refuge IN hight,
and here the romance ends.
E'Would you like story stranger than
the novel itself?'' said Sacher- Masoch to
me- "Some time after it appeared re
ceived an anonymous letter, in which the
writer proposed spiritual friendship, like
that of the Polish count, and added that
there would be no danger OF similar
rupture, as he was a man. L. 3Yery line
was a sentimental appeal to my pity.
The final phrase ended in this way: TO
win back to life a soul that only meditates
suicide Naturally thought the letter
was written by woman, and the second
epistle only confirmed my theory, for this
one appointed a rendezvous in a little vii
lage, with the condition that during the
interview my eyes should be bandaged.
WENT blindfolded myself. One moment
after a rich, masculine voice said Thank
you / was disappointed, confess, but
/ listened to this melodiOus voice, which
made me the most fattering proposals OF
friendship. One year these interviews
took place from time to time, and when
anything prevented me from keeping an
appointment, according to my lnstruc-
tions, I sent letters to London, Vienna,
Paris, etc. Ny answers were always on
paper stamped with a ducal cOronet and
signed Anatole One day AnatOle said to
me:
81 authorize you to regard me-
''Quickly raised my bandage, and saw
the handsomest man l ever beheld. He
held out his hand to me and said:
''If thou lowest me a little, if thou hast
understood that thy destiny is to save me,
to cure me, and thy role to snatch me
from despair, leave thy home. Let mine
be thine, and thou shalt be great, rich
and powerful.
81 was stupefied, but, remembering my
wife and child, declined Anatole's offer.
Some days later studied the photographs
in Viennese shop window; among them
/ saw that of Anatole, and underneath
was written: IS. NJ. Louis II, ROi dc
Baviere' Who knows but the unfOrtu
nate king might be living to-day had
responded to his earnest entreaty?'
Cor Chicago Times.